What SZA’s 'Ctrl' Album Means To Young People

essence.com:

Welcome to Keeping It Z, ESSENCE’s column where we touch on and analyze all things Generation Z. In this piece, writer Malik Peay talks about SZA’s debut album, ‘Ctrl’ and what it means to 20-somethings who are finding their way.

4 years have passed since the release of SZA’s Ctrl, a youthful exploration of love and growth. On June 16, the singer shared a 50-minute set for Amex Unstaged, performing several songs from the album for the first time in two years.

I was instantly reminded of the album’s impact. For me, Ctrl helped me become more positive about my queerness. Through it, I accepted the feelings of being an outcast, which sometimes follow being a part of a demographic that given to harmful stereotypes and ridicule.